Nobody's Perfect
by Supernova95
Summary: Jason felt the hate he put into his punch more than the punch itself, though he deigned much satisfaction from the way it sent Dick reeling. It was a bit disappointing to see only a split lip when Dick finally regained his balance; he was hoping for at least a broken nose. Well, nobody's perfect.


"Who were you out with this time Jason?" Dick sneered as he entered the cave. His elder 'brother''s brow furrows slightly at the astute dismissal Jason sends his way before getting in his space with almost inhuman speed. "I know what you're doing _little bro,_" he mocked, "you're going to get us all killed if you carry on. One day your little playthings is going to be a little police plaything–"

Jason felt the hate he put into his punch more than the punch itself, though he deigned much satisfaction from the way it sent Dick reeling. It was a bit disappointing to see only a split lip when Dick finally regained his balance; he was hoping for at least a broken nose.

Well, nobody's perfect.

Dick wiped the trail of blood from his chin, grinning even as they heard the elevator start to move, signifying Bruce's arrival. "One day, little bro, he's gonna find out just who you've been fucking on the side and then all hell'll break loose, and I'll just watch from the sidelines. Enjoying the view."

Bruce stepped out of the elevator still in a pristine suit from his day running Wayne Enterprises and, rubbing his hands together, questioned,

"Report: Dick?"

"Upper East Side into Downtown's all clear, Central had a bit of a scuffle, but is was nothing a B team couldn't comfortably handle."

"Jason?"

"Docks are clear, so's the Warehouse district."

"So we still have no idea who's sabotaging our operations?"

"No boss. Pythia keeps everything monitored, and everything's clean. Either these guys are really good at covering their tracks or it's an inside job." Dick said, sending a smile Jason's way.

"Keep me updated, we have a large scale operation happening next week and I want everything to go smoothly, no civilian casualties, I don't care who these guys are. They're not going to stop us."

The two of them saluted, both breaking off in different directions; Dick towards the showers and Jason up to the manor itself.

"Jason," Bruce called, "stay a while?" It was unmistakably a question, but when Bruce calls you follow.

The grin Dick gave him was nothing short of pure glee.

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but I need you to be at the top of your game. I can't lose you again. So I don't care what you have to do, but make sure your heads in the game next week Jay, okay?"

Jason let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He didn't know.

"Yeah boss. Just a minor Lovers' tiff, you know how it is." He said, dismissing it as quickly as he could. "You can count on us... you can count on me."

Bruce smiled; full of fondness and almost sad in a way Jason couldn't describe.

"I know." was all he said as he pulled Jason into a stiff hug, letting him go with a clap on the back.

Jason smiled back at him before moving back towards the manor as quickly as he could without looking too suspicious.

When Timothy first invited him back to his house Jason almost expected his room to resemble that of a Disney princess: Rapunzel maybe. The reality was in fact a whole lot of 90s memorabilia, he's pretty sure there was a pot of gel pens there somewhere.

He was admiring a Green Day poster when Tim brought it up, completely out of the blue, as though it was normal to talk about your almost-boyfriend's mafia family.

"So The Batfamily, do they know about me?" Jason immediately spluttered and Tim huffed a laugh, "I'm going to take that as a no." Tim continued as Jason started to choke on his own spit.

He made a noise that probably closely resembled a dying seal. "No, geez. You're not going to be on their radar. How did you figure it out?"

"Well it was pretty obvious. Especially if you've been paying attention to the news over the past few years." He started, inviting Jason to sit on his bed with him and then monopolising his lap with his head.

Once he was comfortable he continued, "What with Bruce Wayne's miraculous return just as The Bat turned up; Dick Grayson's parents' murderer suddenly turning up dead with The Bat's new apprentice written all over it.

"And then there was you. When you were arrested by the Joker Squad it was all over the news. "Bruce Wayne's bad boy son gets eighteen months in Arkham"" Tim said in his best news reader impersonation. "Then the Bat started cranking up his operations in what seemed to be unprovoked escalation. But it wasn't was it?"

At some point Jason had started to run his fingers through Tim's hair, looking fondly down at his not-yet-boyfriend.

"No it wasn't. I hadn't actually done anything. Not that that stopped Napier. Retrial cleared me, cut and dry case they said. I was only in Arkham for a fortnight."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Tim picked up his textbook and started reading. A few minutes later he slammed it shut and threw it up by his pillows.

"When are you going to ask me out?" He demanded sitting up and turning to face Jason, who was cringing at the question.

"I wasn't?" The question hung in the air until Tim rolled his eyes and smiled,

"Bullshit. I really like you, and you really like me. You should ask me out."

Jason huffed. "I can't Tim... you _know_ that. I can't make that risk."

"If this is about the Bat –"

"No. This is about Napier. This is about a bad cop trying to bust our asses and not caring who gets in the way. This isn't about me and you... this is about me not wanting to get you or your family hurt. I can't do that Tim, please don't make me do that." He pleaded.

"You're not going to get me hurt, you're not going to get me arrested just for being my boyfriend... if anything it'll make you look more legit. I want to go on dates with you. Like to the movies; or that little place on 5th Street all the important people are raving about.

"I want to sit through awkward dinners with our families who'll grill us about what we mean to each other.

"And I want to do that with you."

This kid was going to kill him, he had heart palpitations already. But Jason couldn't help but smile and say,

"Alright. Timothy Jackson Drake, will you be my boyfriend." as though he was proposing... and in a way he felt like he was.


End file.
